Newsletter

Train Robbers' Tyler Shannon traded to Joplin Blasters

When the Topeka Train Robbers return to action Saturday at Great Bend, the top of their lineup and middle of their infield will have a new look.

Robbers shortstop and leadoff hitter Tyler Shannon has been traded to the Joplin (Mo.) Blasters, the Pecos League reported Thursday on its website. The Blasters are a member of the independent American Association and occupy last place in the league’s South Division with a 14-25 record.

Shannon first garnered the attention of the Blasters in May when Topeka opened its inaugural season by playing a pair of exhibition games at Joplin. The 6-foot-6 product of Cannon City, Colo., started a 6-4-3 triple play in the first exhibition game by making a diving catch and flipping to second base.

“We saw Tyler in the first game of the year and we liked what we saw,” said Blasters owner Oscar Suarez, according to the Pecos League report. “We have had him on the radar and we are bringing him over.”

Shannon has been one of the most dependable players for the Robbers, who have struggled both on the field and at the box office during their first season in Topeka. In 37 games for Topeka, he hit .262 with an on-base percentage of .310 as the team compiled a record of 17-22.

“Despite our attendance, we have some very high-caliber players,” Robbers manager Max Garza said in the Pecos League report. “I don’t expect this to be the last Train Robber promoted.”

Saturday’s doubleheader at Great Bend marks the start of a 17-game road trip for the Robbers. They are scheduled to return to Topeka on July 21 for a four-game home series against Trinidad, but Pecos League commissioner Andrew Dunn indicated earlier this week that those games might be played in Trinidad, ostensibly because the Robbers have had difficulty attracting fans.